The Hawaiian islands are so completely exotic and alien to the rest of America that it’s hard to describe what might be the most compelling element. I loved the odd symmetry that you find in the leaves of plants – the flowers that are as big as your hand.

When its not sunny and beautiful, it’s gray and moody. The clouds constantly encroach, creating an ever changing backdrop of weather possibilities. Best of all, the islands are roughly 2,500 miles away from any continent. You are just out there.

To walk to Queens Bath on the north shore of the island of Kauai, you must cross a huge stretch of tidal pools along the shore. Each pool is its own little world, very different from the next pool just an inch away.